Ha‘ikū Woman Wins $500 Grand Prize for Shop Small Maui Campaign

The County of Maui Office of Economic Development will partner with the Maui Chamber of Commerce to sponsor the “Shop Small Maui” campaign, highlighted by “Small Business Saturday” on Nov. 30.

And the $500 winner on 99.9 KISS FM is…Christine “Hua” Kekipi-Gamiao. PC: Gaylord Paul Garcia.

Small Business Saturday falls between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and it’s part of the national, year-round celebration of small business owners that encourages residents and visitors to support stores in Maui County by shopping locally this holiday season rather than shopping online or at national mega retailers. American Express initiated the Shop Small movement, and it has been adopted by many communities and municipal governments, including the County of Maui.

There are more than 250 merchants participating in Shop Small Maui, many displaying a Shop Small Maui poster outside or inside their businesses.

Mayor Michael Victorino said, “A strong economy makes for a strong community. So, I strongly encourage everyone to do their holiday shopping locally.”

Office of Economic Development Director Kay Fukumoto said, “We can all have a major impact on our community by making conscious decisions as to where we shop every day, and especially during the holidays. Shop Small Maui, and in particular Small Business Saturday, empower us as consumers to support our local businesses and keep dollars and economic activities flowing back into our local economy.”

As part of the Shop Small Maui campaign, the County of Maui and the Maui Chamber of Commerce partnered with Pacific Media Group’s Morning Kiss with Ed & Charly on 99.9 KISS FM. The show hosted daily gift certificate give ways from participating merchants during the month of November, with a grand prize of $500 check provided by the Maui Chamber of Commerce.

The winner, Christine “Hua” Kekipi-Gamiao of Haʻikū, was chosen on Nov. 25 and was presented withthe check for $500 by the Maui County Office of Economic Development and the Maui Chamber of Commerce.

3 Reasons to SHOP SMALL this year:

What’s Earned Here, Stays Here: Local shops employ local residents, which means more job opportunities and income within our community. When you SHOP SMALL instead of online, more sales tax is generated by your favorite local stores, which can then be used to improve our own community.
By shopping at independently owned small businesses, you are also supporting other local businesses such as attorneys, tax preparers, architects, printers, etc., who support our small businesses owners.

It’s a Kākou Thing: When our local businesses thrive, the entire community thrives! From hosting book groups to craft classes and free keiki events, Maui’s small businesses serve as community hubs that bring friends and family together. They also keep our economy humming by supporting local artists, food producers, and manufacturers.

Mālama Mother Earth: Shopping locally helps cut down on processing, packaging and transportation waste, leading to less pollution. Also, locally grown food is likely to contain more nutrients and have less packaging.

Shop Small Maui welcomes small businesses owned and registered in Maui County to join the campaign throughout the year by signing up online.